


I love you, I love you, I loathe you.

by PYZK



Series: Plance AU Week 2k18 [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, F/M, Hanahaki Disease, Implied Sexual Content, plangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-04-25 16:46:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14382828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PYZK/pseuds/PYZK
Summary: It all started on a strange planet named Flaxus. The pink colored air in the ballroom was thick and foggy, as if hiding something.The diplomatic meeting involved a gala, and sadly they couldn’t go on their armors and helmets.Pidge looked completely stunning, her dress attracted glances all over the ballroom, and even Keith was looking carefully at her every movement. She attracted all glance, except the one she wanted.Lance was looking at Allura, and not only that, she was hanging from his arm and graciously talking to nobles along with Lance, who turned out to be a natural diplomat. She felt her stomach churn from the sight; even when she tried to deny it, she was actually feeling a little jealousy.One Fluxian seemed to notice this and offered a weird smelling drink.“Have this,” they said “it’ll be easier getting those feeling out of you”. It smelled like roses, lemonade and blood.She drank.





	1. We were too different

**Author's Note:**

> (I reccomend listening to Aishite, aihite, aishite by Kikuo or Jin's version of I love you to cry more and fully enjoy the experience. I’m so sorry, I really am)

It all started on a strange planet named Flaxus. The pink colored air in the ballroom was thick and foggy, as if hiding something.

The diplomatic meeting involved a gala, and sadly they couldn’t go on their armors and helmets.

Pidge looked completely stunning, her dress attracted glances all over the ballroom, and even Keith was looking carefully at her every movement. She attracted all glance, except the one she wanted.

Lance was looking at Allura, and not only that, she was hanging from his arm and graciously talking to nobles along with Lance, who turned out to be a natural diplomat. She felt her stomach churn from the sight; even when she tried to deny it, she was actually feeling a little jealousy.

One Fluxian seemed to notice this and offered a weird smelling drink.

“Have this,” they said “it’ll be easier getting those feeling out of you”. It smelled like roses, lemonade and blood.

She drank.

A few hours later, when Pidge saw Lance and Allura dancing slowly, she felt a little pang of pain in her chest as if someone was stabbing her from inside out. That’s when she felt like throwing up.  
The first bloody petals came out of her with pained coughs out of her mouth.

* * *

 

Time passed by and nothing seemed to change. No relationship announcement were made and Pidge kept coughing flowers. Talking with Shiro, she learnt he used to call it hanahaki disease, and the reason that alien said it’d be easier to get her feelings out was because in order to stop the disease surgery was necessary, also removing all romantic feeling in the process. To stop the disease from killing her, very slowly.

They talked about this to Coran and he offered to help. She refused to do the procedure, as if the sole thought of forgetting her feelings for Lance would kill her.

So she keeps coughing pieces of the most soul-piercing love, coughing her insides out and her life. It reached a point where she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t feel her heartbeat against her ribcage, where the only thing she could feel was pain deep within her.

She was slowly dying.

When she finally found Matt, he noticed. He noticed something was wrong with her, he noticed the ache in her soul.

And so, she kept on coughing bloody petals.

* * *

 

One day, she finally fell, she finally gave up. Her lungs collapsed and she was rushed to the medical bay. Coran knew what to do, even if Pidge wouldn’t like it.

When she woke up a few day after, Sam Holt was with her. Matt explained he found him, and stopped himself from making any comments about her disease. But he knew.

Sometime after that, Lance came to her room where she was resting. Pidge saw his eye; he knew.

“Hey Pidge”

“No” she answers.

“Please let me t-“

“No. I beg you,” she said, choking back tears “please don’t talk”.

“Let me talk please!” he quickly exclaimed.

Pidge sighed, defeated.

“Go ahead.”

“I really like you, Pidge. I’m sorry you had to endure this because of me.”

“What about Allura?”

“Allura and I are just friends, I swear.”

Pidge stayed silent, not believing a word of what she was hearing.

“Are you aware that after the surgery is not possible for me to still have feeling for you?”

Lance didn’t dare to even move after hearing that.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be bothering you while you recover. I’ll see you around and feel better.”

She still stayed silent, except after a few seconds Pidge choked back a sob, feeling miserably forgotten. She still loved him, but couldn’t believe him. Finally tears started flowing, staining her cheeks. Tears came out along with two barely blood stained petals. He didn’t love her, he loved someone else. She wanted him to be happy, but couldn’t contain the overwhelming amount of feelings.

Meanwhile Lance was outside her door, embraced by Allura, who was trying to comfort him.

“I’m so sorry, Lance,” she says “but we have to talk about this to Coran, and so you can also have a cure.”

He kept sobbing, even when beautiful green petals both he and Allura were used to see came out of his mouth. He tasted the metallic flavor: “So that’s how love tastes.”

_That’s how love tastes._


	2. I don't know, I don't remember

It was some time after his birthday, his twentieth birthday. Lance had spent a good amount of the day longing home, his sibling, his nephews and niece, his parents, his friends.

He remembered his dad and how much he liked to drink Materva, or how his mom liked Isabel Allende’s books and how much she cried with Paula. How Marco and Luis liked to wrestle with him, but at the same time they always gave him advice about girls, seeing how easy it was for him to fall in love.

He remembered Verónica (and his husband, Hugo), how always she took him to her house whenever he felt down, knowing too well he liked to play with his two twin nephews Javier and Jordán, and his little niece Blanca, who despite being only three years old liked to go treasure hunting at the beach. Lance always bought candies beforehand and hid them under rocks and between leafs, up a palm or inside old wooden boxes. Verónica’s food also did wonders, giving him memories of his childhood and how Verónica was always protective of him being the biggest sibling. When the kids were tired in the evening, he would sit with Hugo and talk about poetry and literature while Hugo enjoyed a cigarette and a big glass of lemonade and Lance, as always, drank Materva. Hugo would ask what did he think of José Martí’s poetry or if he read Alejo Carpentier. If he ever wanted to visit Guanajuato judging by how it was portrayed in Las Buenas Conciencias, or if he ever wants to find someone that would drive him love crazy just like La Maga did with Horacio in Rayuela.

Good times, really good times, full of nostalgia.

And then, after all that disaster of being dragged to space, there was Pidge. Pidge, beautiful Pidge, always so smart and witty, caring, skilled and funny. Loyal to family and friends, and fortunately he was one of her friends.

Lance supposed it was afternoon according to the Castle’s cycle, and he had nothing to do. He received no gifts or words (a rushed hug by Hunk, but he had some diplomatic stuff to attend at the Balmera), Shiro was busy with Keith planning something with the Blades, Allura and Coran were on a diplomatic mission and he didn’t know where Pidge was. The last fact really pained him, because just when he forgot his crush with Allura he was able to see what was in front of his eyes: Pidge, who was in equal parts smart, beautiful and funny. But she was way out of his league, they weren’t even in the same sport. Coming back to his birthday, he was zoning out remembering things from his home, so he decided to search for Pidge and at least hang out with her on his birthday. When he searched in her impromptu lab and she wasn’t there, he tried on the cockpit oh the green lion and her room, but she wasn’t there. Maybe she went for a snack?

Lance walked to the kitchen only to find Pidge trying to decorate something that resembled a cake: three floors (chocolate icing in one floor, vanilla on the upper and finally what Lance assumed was a mix of both in the remaining part), lots of cookies and candies (including chocolate) and a little something wrapped in a really simple paper (with a blue ribbon, of course).

“Pidge?” asked a very confused Lance, startling the girl.

“Shit!” she exclaimed. “I was hoping for a couple more minutes to finish this.”

Lance walked towards her and took a seat, and raising an eyebrow he questions.

“What are you doing?”

“Well… Happy birthday! I’ve been collecting ingredients all these months because I knew everyone was going to be busy this day… And I wanted to make something special for you.”

Lance kept quiet. He could feel the tears burning in the corners of his eyes and his heart racing. Wow, if he had a starting crush with Pidge now he was into her more than he thought. Lance knew she didn’t expect the sudden and crushing hug that enveloped her, but she let herself go.

“Thank you, Pidgey, thank you so much.”

A few moments passed before they separated, and when they did Pidge lit up something resembling a candle besides the cake.

“I made something like a candle, but I don’t know how it will react with the cake o it’s better this way.”

“It’s okay, I didn’t even expect a cake.”

Pidge started singing quietly a happy birthday song, while Lance closed his eyes, listening to the sweet voice of Pidge, a voice that somehow didn’t remind him of a warm beach and long talks about literature with cigarettes, but did remind him of long nights talking about anime and manga he has not read in ages, evenings playing the first Sonic the Hedgehog games and at the same time, made him imagine a colder beach, old buildings and a room full of books whose window led to a beautiful cliff on the shore.

Pidge was his home in space, his only home, now.

“Make a wish!”

Lance thought little time before blowing the candle, with a prayer in his mind echoing through his heart.

_Please feel the same way._

And while they both ate a cake that looked awful compared to the glorious taste, the wish stayed.

_Please feel the same way, Let me be your home away from home._

* * *

 

In Flaxus, he decided to try some weird fruit natives swore would give him good luck regarding love. It tasted very, very weird, however. Like vanilla, lemon juice and blood.

He didn’t know what kind of tragedy it would bring.

That evening he decided to dance with Allura, given the fact that they had made close friends lately; Allura knew about his strong feelings towards the green paladin. While her intentions at first were made to help, they quickly gained feelings that went as far as platonic, they were just friends and saw each other as the sibling they much needed.

While they were dancing, Lance couldn’t help but feel a little jealous since everyone was watching how stunning Pidge looked.

“Why mullet can’t keep his eyes out of her?”

“Pidge looks really beautiful tonight, Lance, it’s only natural for people to look at her.”

“I want to invite her dancing.”

“Then do so.”

“What if she says no?”

“Lance, you have nothing to lose. Just invite her.”

Lance sighed and when he turned around to invite Pidge, she was already sitting with a Fluxian and drinking some weird looking beverage, a pink color but transparent, as if it was strawberry lemonade.

He saw Pidge taking the first sip.

She made a look of disgust.

* * *

 

Some hours later Lance started coughing flowers. A whole bunch of flowers. His first thought was going directly to Allura and ask her about it.

“Allura, what is happening to me?” he exclaimed, very scared.

“Oh, dear…” she whispers.

She knew something was odd about Flaxus, and her first thought was calling the leader of the planet.

Sometime later, they learnt they called it the bloody flower disease, and there were few options: getting killed in the process with a heart-wrenching unrequited love, the possibility of the love being mutual or apparently, if love wasn't meant to be you could get surgery to remove the flowers and vines, with them the love also goes away.

Lance refused just in case Pidge and him were meant to be.

* * *

 

But time passed by and he kept coughing flowers, and his heart only broke more because of her behaviour: she wasn't spending more time with him anymore, the friendship, what they had, all of it was gone like leaves carried by the wind. Instead she was speeding more time with Shiro, who understood her completely and supported her, who always reminded her of the good times with Sam and Matt Holt. Shiro was basically her home away from home.

Lance didn't blame her for falling in love with Shiro (and he seemed to reciprocate). She was nineteen already and she did what she wanted, even though he couldn't help but feel the ache in his chest every time they were together.

Sometime later they found Matt Holt, and Pidge was really happy about it. And she was spending even less time with him between finding her father and being with Matt and Shiro.

* * *

 

One day it all went down. Pidge's lungs collapsed and she was rushed to the medical bay, only for surgery being performed in her.

Apparently she also had the bloody flower disease, and who was she in love with? None other than himself, Lance. God, he was such an idiot.  
So in the days she was resting and sleeping the vast major of time he took the coordinates she investigated and went in search for her father, which he quickly found. He hoped there was something left to do, he hoped there was still a small light, a spark that could still ignite the burning love they both felt.

That hope was broken within a few minutes of questioning.

“Are you aware that after the surgery is not possible for me to still have feeling for you?”

Those words broke him from inside out.

* * *

 

They talked to Coran and the Fluxian who gave them information. When the Fluxian examined him he gasped and with a very concerned look, started talking.

"There's no cure," he says "when love is meant to be there is no cure, and you better start talking things with the one you're in love with, because I can be sure that the vines hadn't left her."

Lance felt very confused but kept listening.

"The bloody flower disease affects those in love, but with surgery it can be cured. The thing is that if the vines don't go, then the love is meant to be. That's why in this planet everyone drinks this, to find out if the person they've been with is their lifelong companion. Congratulations, you've found what earthlings call soulmate."

Lance's head was spinning, everything was confusing and in less time than he thought he passed out in the middle of desperate coughs that tasted like love, blood and hope.

There was just a thought lingering inside Lance's head.

_Please taste love from me, please._


	3. Please hold me, please catch me

Lance let Pidge rest and take care of herself (both physically and emotionally) alone, or at least without his company. He knew it would only make things worse and harder for her, so he kept his distance a little.

Pidge didn’t know whether to thank him, or resent him for that.

With day came a week, and with weeks came a month, then two months and suddenly three months have passed. Pidge was nineteen and Lance was just about to become twenty one years old (according to old calendars that were put in the castle’s system), and they barely spoke to each other. Needless to say, things were awkward around the castle, and even though they barely went to risky missions, Shiro thought it might be a problem for the team, but there was nothing he could do about it, given the fact that these were feelings and not disagreements.

There was nothing to do but let Lance and Pidge sort out their respective feelings, and Lance was getting pretty desperate to reach for Pidge. Fortunately, he had a plan, one she could not refuse.

He just needed the perfect distraction.

* * *

 

Soon there was another ball in a different planet (each paladin had a reason they didn’t want to return to Flaxus and Allura understood pretty well), and the moment to dress up again came. The boys would dress as always: a tuxedo with its corresponding bow, each color depending of the paladin (Lance for example wore a navy blue tuxedo with a much brighter blue for the bow), while Allura and Pidge changed dresses mostly based on the planet’s fashion (that usually were gifts).

Pidge looked completely stunning in her off the shoulder mermaid dress (it looked like that at least for Lance), in a beautiful emerald green. And Lance felt completely stupid.

It was a common occurrence though, because since that fateful day where Pidge was rushed to the medical bay for a case of bloody flower disease, all because both misunderstood the signals and they were now trapped in a spiral of despair and sorrow.

Lance took a deep breath and watched as Pidge took a sit in a corner of the room, taking sips of a pearl-looking beverage. He walked towards her slowly, touching lightly her shoulder hoping not to scare her, but he failed miserably as she was startled from the mere touch, maybe because she was lost thinking about something Lance ignored.

“Pidge, we need to talk.”

“Lance, there’s nothing left to talk. Everything is now over, and it’d be better if we waited to return to Earth, besides-” Pidge was interrupted.

“Katie, please. We need to talk” says a distressed Lance.

She sighed and stood from her chair, then followed Lance across corridors and hallways, the garden and finally they were in a room full of mirrors. Pidge felt uneasy, and the so familiar feeling of asphyxiation came to her like a piano falling from the sky. She felt her stomach drop and tears in the corner of her eyes, was Lance going to finally say he confessed out of pity?

“You keep throwing up flowers, don’t you?”

Oh. Well that was unexpected. She was surprised but not disappointed, how did he know? Lance took her silence as a signal to keep talking.

“I… I am throwing up flowers, too.”

She fought to bite back a sob that was about to get out.

“Some Fluxian explained what it was. Apparently they use it to discover your lifelong soul mate because… because flowers keep coming out even after surgery, if the love is meant to be.”

Pidge looked directly at Lance’s eyes. She didn’t know what to say, and part of her needed confirmation of this allegation.

“Allura was there too, you can ask her,” says Lance “but please don’t keep yourself away. Please.”

“So what you are saying is that this… thing… is meant to be?”

Lance only nodded, while looking away. He was scared of her reaction, he was scared of her not corresponding this time, he was afraid that the Fluxian was wrong and that she had already moved on. He was surprised by a silent crying, and when he turned to look at Pidge she was crying and holding her fingers down her eyes because she didn’t want the makeup ruined (if the makeup ruined people would look at her wondering why she was crying, and that wouldn’t end up pretty). He felt a hole already in his stomach and a big lump in his throat, a burning sensation inside his chest and the sudden urge to cough his insides out.

“Coming here was a mistake...” she says. “I’m sorry, I’ll come back to the party.”

And again she wasn’t saying anything about her feelings. She walked towards the door but before she could even touch the doorknob Lance grabbed her arm and quickly embraced her. She wanted to ask what was happening but Lance was faster and gently he kissed her.

Her lips were smooth thanks to the chapstick under lipstick, and they were warmer than he ever dreamed. Pidge hesitated a little but then she kissed him back, letting the warmth of Lance’s lips extend through her mouth and all her being, feeling his hand cover her small waist and the other caressing her cheek.

And then, the familiar metallic flavor in Pidge’s mouth alerted her of the nauseating sensation that crept through her throat. She separated from Lance’s lips and tried to keep the flowers away from her dress. They weren’t even blood stained, but still Lance was shocked, wasn’t the disease supposed to stop when you finally felt love, when your love was requited? And it hit him.

Pidge didn’t feel like her feelings were requited.

Lance made sure to keep her dress clean, even if that meant staining the sleeves of his dress shirt (hopefully the tux could cover it). He guided her to a chair and let her recover, her breath becoming more stable.

“How are you feeling?”

“I can breathe normally but… I’m confused, Lance. Very confused. I- I don’t know what to do. I know how I feel about you, but about this? Don’t ask because I won’t know. I just need some time to think.”

“Think exactly about what, Pidge?!”

She remained silent.

“I don’t think you’re convinced you’re in love with me out of pity, but guilt? I’m not so sure.”

Then she went, leaving Lance alone with his thought and the inevitable sensation of coughing petals.

* * *

 

When Pidge knocked on Lance’s door on that same night, she didn’t expect this view. Lance cleaning his own mouth with a white handkerchief, or at least a handkerchief she knew used to be white.

The ball had just ended and both of them were still dressed up, so the clicking of heels made Lance turn his head.

“Pidge…?”

She decided to take a sit beside him on his bed.

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Lance lowered his gaze.

“We can’t keep doing this anymore” Pidge states.

His stomach dropped as the burning itch inside her throat returned and stronger than ever.

Except that this time, Pidge surprised him by taking his hand and connecting their lips. Slowly, gently and carefully the sensation calmed down, just as her lips caressed his own. Then finally came the relief he had been searching for a long time: the itch, the pain and the nausea all settled down in a comforting way he hadn’t felt in a long time. He felt brave enough to deepen the kiss and tangling his hand in Pidge’s hair, he smiled into the kiss.

This action calmed Pidge as well and she relaxed, and just as Lance, she finally found the peace she had been longing.

“I was just so used to the idea of you liking Allura that it became a constant in my life. And you know how I feel about a change in constants, it feels weird for me and confuses me a lot. I was just confused, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t, it’s just how you felt at the moment.” Lance brought Pidge into his lap. “This was a pretty bumpy ride, huh?”

She nodded and leaned against Lance’s shoulder, closing her eyes and finally relaxing, taking in his warmth.

“You should take this off” she says, gesturing his stained sleeves.

“Won’t you buy me dinner at first?”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile that clearly was on her face.

“It will be harder to get the stains out of this if you let them dry, and it’s past three AM already.”

She walked towards the door, but Lance wouldn’t let go of her hand.

“Stay, please.”

“But I don’t have any pajamas here.”

Lance walked to his closet and took a black t-shirt that gave to Pidge.

“Now you do, so… please?”

They both needed some calm, and at least sleeping toghether would bring some peace to this chaotic air that had just ended.

When she walked out of the bathroom already in his shirt and with a clean face, he was waiting for her.

The quiet, untroubled breathes lulled them to sleep, knowing well that at least this had finally ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't over, but the angst is ending already, please indulge in this hurt/comfort chapter<3


	4. I love you to your warm touch

Getting adjusted to a romantic relationship inside the paladin’s dynamic was easy, and Lance didn’t know if it was because the team was just like that or they were expecting this to happen. When they got checked a few months later (months in which they hadn’t expelled any single petal), no signs of rooting could be seen, nor any branches and flowers were completely gone, situation the team decided to celebrate while Allura and Shiro sighed in relief.

Their battle dynamics didn’t change much, except for a kiss shared before missions and a few ‘be careful, be safe’ here and there. They were also a little more protective of each other, but they still trust in their abilities to fight.

They had now more much free time, given that almost all small Galra empire groups were vanished and pacific Galra lived in some planet Lotor decided to call New Daibazaal, and the universe was being freed from the empire’s claws. They barely had missions, one every two months at most, and thus training was reduced to three days a week. Pidge and Lance had more time to spend together doing anything: from reading to talking, listening to music, laughing, playing videogames, watching movies in Pidge’s laptop, sometimes they made out.

If they knew each other pretty well before all this mess, it was much more now, like the back of their hands. Lance learnt so many things about her: how she had very contradictory interests such as magical girls’ anime and fighting anime, or how she practiced ice skating until she entered the garrison (even though Pidge swore she wouldn’t be able to do it anymore, Lance liked to say that if they got to Earth a year or two later and she poured all her energy to it, she could even become a professional, but Pidge liked it as a hobby), how her favorite combination was cheese and tomato sauce, how much her grandma loved her and how much she must be missing her and even how much she missed having long hair, sometimes. In exchange, Pidge started to know a deeper side of Lance, if not the deepest: he may be a flirt but he was a romantic at heart, he loved with all his heart literature and was actually very good in both literature knowledge and creative writing, his sister Verónica taught him how to braid hair, he knew how to play acoustic and electric guitar, he sang pretty good and if he hadn’t joined the garrison, he’d like to be a medic or a writer.

They liked to be together, just like they were in that joyful moment.

“So are you telling me there’s a literal genre called magic realism?” asks Pidge half giggling.

“Yeah, but it’s a little old since it’s from the XX century, a little more than one hundred and fifty years later.”

“But why did they call if magic realism? The term contradicts itself, Lance.”

“No, my little pigeon, it doesn’t. The thing about magic realism is that you don’t have any fantastical situations, you don’t have your detective story or a story about a bloody-thirsty ghost. You have situations about people like us, like you and me, which somehow got involved in tricky situations, and with tricky I mean rather unrealistic or thing that would happen one in a million or something.. For example a guy who is currently a suspect and has to leave his city to a little town, where he finds a grand-uncle he hasn’t seen in years and suddenly he has an inherited fortune left by his uncle. Add that he has the hots for his political cousin who is like ten years younger than her, and the mom of said cousin wants to suck his dick. By the way we’re talking about how this dude is Mexican and the husband of the dick-sucking political aunt is a very narcissistic American who is convinced our protagonist is garbage and worthless. Oh, and the dude is also married.”

Pidge broke out laughing at Lance’s description, not because it sounded ridiculous or she was making fun of it, but honestly? Lance’s description was really hilarious.

“Yeah, this is actually one of my favorite books. I read it back when I was fourteen years old, my brother in law Hugo loves literature too and I happened to like books more than the average teenager. You wouldn’t believe how mad Luis and Marco were! They even said something like ‘Leandro, you shouldn’t be making friends with that dude! She wants our sister’, but my little pigeon, you should know that Verónica and Hugo were already married!”

She chuckled with a confused frown on her face, the more Lance talked about his family the more she thought they were as weird as her family, and the more she wanted to meet them.

“So you’re telling me they still didn’t like him but your sister was married?”

“Indeed! Actually this reminds me of another book I read, but we’re not exactly focusing on that.”

“What do you mean?”

Lance left his place in his bed, beside Pidge, to go and grab a book on a little, hidden bookshelf in the corner of his room. It was full of books he collected in the years of being in space. Some were in English and he managed to get two in Spanish (in exchange of some weird rock he got on a mission he didn’t knew was a great source of energy but whatever), but the shelf was hiding in the darkness and everyone who entered into Lance’s room tended to ignore it. But she spent a good amount of time there and soon she noticed.

“Here, have this. It’s one of my favorites, but since I couldn’t get it in Spanish I want to give it to you, this one is the English version.”

Pidge looked carefully at the cover, showing a man with a fedora and both hands in his pockets. It read ‘Chronicles of a death foretold’, the author being Gabriel García Márquez.

“Thank you, however I have to say that I’m not really fond of novels.”

“Just give this a try, can you?”

She looks at the book and then back at him, then smiles fondly imagining that it must be a really good tale to be one of Lance’s favorites, who she learnt had very high standards for literature. God, he was such a dork, but an amazing, kind dork.

She was standing with clear intentions of kissing him, but then something, or someone, interrupted.

Keith showed with a face that screamed ‘I just woke up’ and ‘AWKWARD’.

“Oh, sorry… Allura has something to say to all of us. Um… I’ll tell her you’ll be there in five minutes.” He left as quickly as he entered.

She resumed their little talk by giving him a quick peck on the lips and dragging him out of the room, book in hand.

“Paladins, I’m afraid this little diplomatic mission has had some… obstacles. Threthians are a specie very attached to their modals code, and therefore there must be a celebration in honor of the coalition joining. And that means…”

“If I have to wear lace under a sheer suit one more time I’ll shoot myself out of the airlock” says Matt, who was requested to come to the ball too.

“But you can’t deny you looked great on those” adds Shiro.

“Ew gross, please stop flirting with my brother, Shiro.”

“And get a room” says Keith, aware of how pretty much everyone knew about hiro’s crush on Matt, everyone except Matt. Also the aforementioned ball was one of the most awkward things they had to attend.

“This event does not involve lace nor sheer, you can feel safe, paladins.”

A collective relief sigh could be heard in the room, even Lotor was thanking whatever thing he believed in.

“But I called you all because the event was very much needed, thus the king requested the ball to be held tonight.”

“What?!” exclaimed everyone.

“Fortunately for almost all of you, special clothes won’t be needed. You can use your own tuxedos and Lotor can wear his gala suit. However they, as expected, gifted us two dresses for the occasion. Pidge, I’m afraid we have to play surprise box” said Allura with an almost imperceptible groan.

“Again?” she complains.

“Again. You can now go and get ready on your own, Pidge and I will go to my chambers to change.”

* * *

 

“Fuck,” she muttered “I was really hoping I could at least use my favorite dress.”

“That one you bought on that planet that apparently was a reference to the War of Stars?”

Pidge giggled.

“It’s Star Wars, Allura. And yes, that planet was named Tatooine and was nothing alike the planet of the movie!”

“There will be more occasions to wear it, Pidge, don’t give up.”

The dress was far more revealing than she thought. It managed to off the shoulder and it left her back uncovered, the hem barely reached her thighs but a sheer fabric covered it, reaching her ankles. Thankfully she was not required to wear heels, and of course she opted for flats that matched her light green dress. The Threthian king gave them also two crowns, one made of pink flowers for Allura, and the other was something that resembled a laurel wreath, for Pidge.

Soon it was time for them to walk to the ballroom, Allura walking alone and Pidge making a pair with Lance.

* * *

 

The ball took place without any inconvenience for pretty much everyone. Keith ended up dancing with Allura in a way that may or may not have reminded Lance of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Hunk as always complained about how much he missed Shay, Shiro and Matt for a change were exchanging light pick-up lines and drinking neon pink cocktails and Pidge and Lance took a seat and chatted all night, eating little appetizers here and there and taking drinks, first asking if they had any side effects.

And soon, they found themselves in the garden, making out.

The dress Pidge wore was its own way of delicate, indeed, but also very revealing and accentuating of the female’s dainty figure. Figure that Lance decided to trace with his own hands, while his lips were occupied on hers. Soft, light fabric against the roughness of his hands, the soft grasp of the cashmere neck on his tuxedo by Pidge’s hands, the tangled mess that was her right hand in Lance’s hair and her left against his chest, and mouth against mouth, in a successful attempt to get closer, closer and closer. They ran out of air and decided to separate for a moment, in a mix of breaths and light panting.

“I love you so much” says Lance, sure of his words “God, I’ve wanted to say it since quite some time.”

“I love you too.” The little pink tint revealed Pidge was also serious, and that she also had been wanting to say it.

“What if we ditch this thing and go do anything else?” he whispers.

“And by anything else you mean…?” she asks suggestively.

“Whatever you want.”

“And won’t Allura kick our asses?”

“Nah,” he says, taking her hand and getting ready to sneak out to the rooms they were given, for the couple of nights they were staying “she’s too busy making eyes at Keith to notice. I’m kind of more worried about your brother, though.”

“He’s drunk and hopefully making out with Shiro, don’t worry about it.”

Then they ran out of the gardens towards the larges staircase, with a big window providing natural light from the two moons orbiting the planet. She was careful not to trip with her dress and without being seen they reached the guest chambers and closed the door behind them.

In no time the room was a mess of discarded clothes, sloppy kisses and fumbling hands, accompanied by mingled breaths and soft moans.

Nobody noticed their absence.

* * *

 

Pidge woke up to a nauseating sensation and an itch in her throat. She noticed two things: the other side of the bed was empty, and there were two little drops of what Pidge immediately recognized as blood in one of the pillows. Touching the empty side she noticed it was still warm, probably Lance just got out of the bed. It was still nighttime, but there was no muffled music coming from the ballroom, meaning that the event was probably ending.

Then she heard that sound of coughing she knew very well.

“Lance?” she asked, worried.

Without thinking twice she left her spot in the bed and walked towards the bathroom, just to encounter Lance sitting on the floor, holding between his two hands a little object she could not recognize. There were also blood stains on the floor as well as on Lance’s chin.

“Oh my God, Lance!” exclaimed Pidge “What happened?”

“I don’t know” he said, wiping the little tears of hi eyes “I woke up in pain and then I had the sensation as if I were to throw up flowers, like on those months… And then when it stopped I noticed this thing coming out of my mouth.”

Then he showed it to her. A little bright blue germinated seed. Pidge tried to take it but before she could, she winced in pain.

The itch in her chest became a burning sensation and the nausea turned to a mess inside her stomach. She couldn’t avoid it, and soon Pidge entered on a coughing fit.

Lance had his hand on her back, supporting her, in hopes this could end soon. His prayers were heard and in a few minutes Pidge had, also, a little teal seed that this time wasn’t germinated.

“What does this mean?” says Lance.

Pidge shook her head in an unknowing manner, she didn’t have a clue of what in the fresh hell was happening.

“I’ll contact that Fluxian who gave us information” adds Lance.

It seemed like after a few months of the acceptance of feelings, it was common throwing up the last piece of the disease: a little seed for each individual in the relationship. According to the Fluxian it was also good luck to plant both seeds, if they couldn’t be planted on the same soil they must be planted on a pot. Whatever thing that grew out of both seeds was non-toxic and sometime edible, and it was a common Fluxian tradition to create candies or cakes for occasions such as anniversaries or the wedding ceremony of the individuals. And also, they were safe. No more throwing up or coughing.

The Fluxian congratulated them and ended the holo-call, earning a confused look from both Pidge and Lance.

“It’s getting kind of cold and I’m sleepy, we should clean up and go to sleep.”

Lance kissed Pidge’s temple and grabbed a clean cloth, while she folded the discarded clothes and put them on a chair. When they were done a soft bed with silk-like sheets welcomed both, the soft sound of a pink ocean lulling them to sleep.

* * *

 

Pidge was eating chopped pieces of a fruit she liked to call sour gummy bears, because it tasted exactly like sour gummy bears. The plant that grew out of those two seeds had a cylinder-like form and was a soft teal color, but nobody except for Lance and her knew about its existence. Carefully she turned the page of the book she was reading; she became emotionally attached to the story of Santiago Nasar and a supposed crime he committed, which lead him to his early and tragic death. She could now see why it was one of Lance’s favorite.

She was so focused on it that she didn’t even hear Lance entering to their room.

“Allura wanted to see everyone, she said that we had to return Flaxus again.”

“Fuck, I don’t want to go to Flaxus again.”

“She said we could stay.”

“Please tell me everyone is warned to be careful around food and drinks out there.”

“They ate before leaving, and don’t plan on staying too much.”

Pidge noticed something weird about Lance, maybe because he was hiding something behind his back.

“I brought you this.” Lance revealed a bouquet of sparkly, teal colored flowers.

“I mean the gift is very much appreciated, but why?”

“Shay told me these actually bring good luck, and if there’s someone non-human that I believe, it’s Shay. And because they are beautiful as you. Well, almost. And because I love you.”

She took the flowers and put them in a vase, gave Lance a quick kiss and relocated the vase on the nightstand.

For once, she was actually happy to see flowers in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the suffering is over! I want to thank Corona for making this possible, beer gave me proper inspiration to finish this. Thank you, Corona. And also pizza. God bless pizza.
> 
> This was a bumpy ride I hope all of you enjoyed, stay hydrated and leave a comment pwease<3


End file.
